Heat exchanger with an integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly

ABSTRACT

The heat exchanger with side-sited integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly is involved in a hydrodynamic torque converter. The heat exchanger includes a first liquid-collecting tube and a second liquid-collecting tube with flat tube. The integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly is mounted on the side of the heat exchanger, and includes a temperature control valve and a side-flow tube. The temperature control valve is mounted at the middle of the side-flow tube. The temperature control valve includes a valve body, a valve element, a piston rod, a piston rod seat and a spring, which are applied to the heat exchanger of automobile hydraulic torque converter.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of heat exchangers and inparticular to vehicle transmission temperature regulation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The hydraulic torque converter is an automobile transmission gear thatuses hydraulic fluid to regulate torque. During operation, thetemperature of the hydraulic fluid may rise so as to affect torquetransmission and output of the hydraulic torque converter. Therefore,when temperature of the hydraulic fluid rises, it is necessary totransmit the hydraulic fluid to the heat exchanger to decrease hydraulicfluid temperature.

An existing technology for temperature regulation of hydraulic fluid isdetailed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,487,826 B2 in which a heat exchanger with abypass valve for control of dynamic liquid temperature is used. When thetemperature of the hydraulic fluid is too low, compared to a preselectedset point, the temperature control valve closes an oil flow path so thatthe hydraulic fluid does not pass through the heat exchanger allowingthe temperature of the hydraulic fluid to increase through torqueconverter operational heating; while when the hydraulic fluidtemperature exceeds a preselected threshold, the temperature controlvalve is activated to open the oil flow path to decrease temperature ofthe hydraulic fluid through the heat exchanger to maintain a stablehydraulic fluid temperature in the hydraulic torque converter duringnormal operation. One shortcoming of the existing technology is that thetemperature control valve of the heat exchanger is mounted at the middleof the liquid-collecting tube of the heat exchanger and the oil inlettube seat and outlet tube seat are respectively mounted at the both endsof the liquid-collecting tube. Therefore, it must be fabricated afterthe liquid-collecting tube is turned off, with more complicatedstructure, higher requirements for the manufacture process, moreoperation procedures and higher production cost. Thus, there exists aneed for a vibrating massage roller that provides a degree of positionaluniformity in vibration along the roller imparted to a subject incontact with the roller.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A heat exchanger is provided with an integrated temperature controlvalve and side-flow tube assembly. The heat exchanger includes a firstliquid-collecting tube and a second liquid-collecting tube with a flattube. The flat tube is mounted between the first liquid-collecting tubeand the second liquid-collecting tube to form a liquid passageway. Theintegrated temperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly aremounted on the side of the heat exchanger. The integrated temperaturecontrol valve and side-flow tube assembly includes a temperature controlvalve and side-flow tube. The first section of the side-flow tube isconnected with one end of the first liquid-collecting tube. The secondsection of the side-flow tube is collected with one end of the secondliquid-collecting. The first liquid-collecting tube is closed withanother end of the second liquid-collecting tube. The middle section ofthe side-flow tube is provided with a separator that separates side-flowtube into two sections. The temperature control valve is mounted at themiddle of the side-flow tube. The temperature control valve includes avalve body, valve element, piston rod, piston rod seat and spring. Themiddle hole of the valve body is divided into three sections i.e. thepiston rod seat is mounted in the lower section of the middle hole ofthe valve body, the lower section of the valve element is mounted at themiddle section of the middle hole of the valve body, the upper sectionof the valve element is mounted in the upper section of the middle holeof the valve body and the spring is mounted between the edge of thevalve element and the upper end of the middle section of middle hole ofthe valve body so that the valve element can radially slide in themiddle hole of the valve body. The valve element is provided with innerchamber having a thermosensitive and thermo expansive rubber therein.One end of the piston rod is mounted on the piston rod seat and anotherend is mounted in the inner chamber of the valve element. The end faceis contacted with end face of the thermosensitive rubber so that thepiston rod can slide in the inner chamber of the valve element. Thevalve body is provided with an inlet and outlet. The inlet of the valvebody is connected with the dynamic liquid outlet tube of the hydraulictorque converter and connected with second section of the side-flowtube. The outlet of the valve body is connected with the dynamichydraulic inlet tube of the hydraulic torque converter and connectedwith the first section of the side-flow tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a particular embodiment of an inventive heat exchanger.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A heat exchanger is applied to automobile hydraulic torque converterthat has utility to provide improved operation of the vehicle. Theinventive heat exchanger has a side-sited integrated temperature controlvalve and side-flow tube assembly.

It is to be understood that in instances where a range of values areprovided that the range is intended to encompass not only the end pointvalues of the range but also intermediate values of the range asexplicitly being included within the range and varying by the lastsignificant figure of the range. By way of example, a recited range offrom 1 to 4 is intended to include 1-2, 1-3, 2-4, 3-4, and 1-4.

A heat exchanger is provided that includes the side-sited integratedtemperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly. The heatexchanger includes a first liquid-collecting tube and a secondliquid-collecting tube with a flat tube. The flat tube is mountedbetween the second liquid-collecting tube and second liquid-collectingtube to form a fluid passageway. The integrated temperature controlvalve and side-flow tube assembly is mounted on the side of the heatexchanger, and includes a temperature control valve and a side-flowtube. The second section of the side-flow tube is connected with one endof the second liquid-collecting tube. The second section of theside-flow tube is collected with one end of the second liquid-collectingtube. The second liquid-collecting tube is closed with another end ofthe second liquid-collecting tube. The middle section of the side-flowtube is provided with a separator which is used to separate it into twosections. The temperature control valve is mounted at the middle of theside-flow tube. The temperature control valve includes a valve body, avalve element, a piston rod, a piston rod seat and a spring. The middlehole of the valve body is divided into three sections i.e. the pistonrod seat is mounted in the lower section of the middle hole of the valvebody, the lower section of the valve element is mounted at the middlesection of the middle hole of the valve body, the upper section of thevalve element is mounted at the upper section of the middle hole of thevalve body and the spring is mounted between the edge of the valveelement and the upper end of the middle section of middle hole of thevalve body so that the valve element can radially slide in the middlehole of the valve body. The valve element is provided with an innerchamber mounted with a thermosensitive rubber in it. One end of thepiston rod is mounted on the piston rod seat and another end is mountedin the inner chamber of the valve element. Its end face is contactedwith end face of the thermosensitive rubber so that the piston rod canslide in the inner chamber of the valve element. The valve body isprovided with an inlet and an outlet. The inlet of the valve body isconnected with the dynamic liquid outlet tube of the hydraulic torqueconverter and connected with second section of the side-flow tube. Theoutlet of the valve body is connected with the dynamic liquid inlet tubeof the hydraulic torque converter and connected with the second sectionof the side-flow tube.

In case temperature of dynamic liquid is low, the thermosensitive rubberin the valve element can sense lower temperature of the dynamic liquid.The volume will become smaller so that the valve element can move downunder the action of the spring force to connect the inlet with theoutlet of the valve body. In this case, the dynamic liquid in thehydraulic torque converter can pass through the dynamic liquid outlet,valve body inlet and valve body outlet, and return to the hydraulictorque converter through the dynamic liquid inlet tube instead of theheat exchanger to keep lower temperature of the dynamic liquid. In casetemperature of the dynamic liquid is high, the thermosensitive rubber ofthe valve element can sense higher temperature of the dynamic liquid andincrease the volume to move the valve element up to close the passagewaybetween the inlet and outlet of the valve body so that the dynamicliquid in the hydraulic torque converter does not need to return throughthe passageway between the inlet and outlet of the valve body but returninto the second liquid-collecting tube from the second section of theside-flow tube and then return to the hydraulic torque converter throughthe flat tube, second liquid-collecting tube and dynamic liquid inlettube to keep lower temperature of the dynamic liquid. Thermosensitiverubber has the property of being elastomeric and having a predictablevalue of linear thermal expansion. Thermosensitive rubbers operativeherein illustratively include styrene butadiene rubber, natural rubber,silicone rubber, and combinations thereof.

An exemplary inventive heat exchanger is shown generally at 1 in FIG. 1.The heat exchanger 1 has an integrated temperature control valve andside-flow tube assembly 2. The heat exchanger 1 also includes a firstliquid-collecting tube 3, second liquid-collecting tube 4 with flat tube5 providing fluid communication therebetween. The flat tube 5 is mountedbetween first liquid-collecting tube 3 and second liquid-collecting tube4 in the heat exchanger 1 to form a liquid passageway. The integratedtemperature control valve and side-flow tube assembly 2 is mounted onthe side of the heat exchanger 1 and is considered part of the heatexchanger. The integrated temperature control valve and side-flow tubeassembly 2 includes temperature control valve 8 and side-flow tube 6.The first section of the side-flow tube 6 is in fluid communication withone end of the first liquid-collecting tube 3. The second section of theside-flow tube 6 is in fluid communication with one end of the secondliquid-collecting tube 4. The middle section of the side-flow tube 6includes a separator 7 that separates the side-flow tube 6 into twosections that form a flow path as illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 1.The temperature control valve 8 is mounted at the middle of theside-flow tube 6. The temperature control valve 8 includes a valve body9, a valve element 10, a piston rod 11, a piston rod seat 12 and aspring 13. The hole in the valve body 9 is divided into 3 sections suchthat the piston rod seat 12 is mounted in the lower section of the holein the valve body 9, the lower section of the valve element 10 ismounted at the middle section of the hole in the valve body 9, the uppersection of the valve element 10 is mounted at the upper section of thevalve body 9 and the spring 13 is mounted between the edge of the valveelement 10 and the upper end of the middle section of middle hole of thevalve body 9 so that the valve element 10 can radially slide in themiddle hole of the valve body 9. The valve element 10 is provided withinner chamber 14 of the valve element. The inner chamber 14 is includesa thermosensitive rubber 15 therein. One end of the piston rod 11 ismounted on the piston rod seat 12 and another, opposing end of pistonrod seat 12 is mounted in the inner chamber 14 of the valve element. Anend surface of the piston rod 11 is proximal to the thermosensitiverubber 15 and at a pre-selected temperature causing expansion of therubber 15, the piston rod 11 is urged to slide in the inner chamber 14of the valve element 10. The valve body 9 is provided with an inlet 16and outlet 17. The inlet 16 of the valve body 9 is in fluidcommunication with the hydraulic liquid outlet tube 18 of the hydraulictorque converter and also in fluid communication with a second sectionof the side-flow tube 6, as being on the other side of separator 7. Theoutlet 17 of the valve body is in fluid communication with the dynamichydraulic inlet tube 19 of the hydraulic torque converter and connectedwith the first section of the side-flow tube 6 that is on the other sideof separator 7 relative to the second section of side-flow tube 6.

As a function of temperature the thermosensitive rubber 15 expands andurges the piston rod 14 to move until the temperature is such that valve8 has a portion that moves upward into the central cylindrical holedepicted in FIG. 1 so close the direct linear path between hydraulicliquid outlet tube 18 and hydraulic liquid inlet tube 19 thereby forcinghydraulic fluid having a temperature pre-selected as being hot to travelthrough the heat exchanger circuitous path through the heat exchangercooling section as depicted in FIG. 1 by the arrows and includingtransit through the flat-tube 5.

Patent documents and publications mentioned in the specification areindicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which theinvention pertains. These documents and publications are incorporatedherein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document orpublication was specifically and individually incorporated herein byreference.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be madeand still the result will come within the scope of the invention. Nolimitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein isintended or should be inferred.

1. The heat exchanger comprising: side-sited integrated temperaturecontrol valve and side-flow tube assembly, the assembly having atemperature control valve and a side-flow tube; a firstliquid-collecting tube; a second liquid-collecting tube forming a closedloop with the first liquid-collecting tube; a flat tube mounted betweenthe first liquid-collecting tube and the second liquid-collecting tubeto form a liquid passageway; a side-flow tube having a first section influid communication with the first liquid-collecting tube and a secondsection in fluid communication with the second liquid-collecting tube; aseparator in a middle section of the side-flow tube to define a firstflow section and a second flow section on opposite sides of theseparator; a temperature control valve mounted in the middle section ofthe side-flow tube and comprising a valve body, a valve element havingan inner chamber, a piston rod, a piston rod seat and a spring; thevalve body defining a hole that is divided into three sections with thepiston rod seat mounted in the lower section of the hole, a lowersection of the valve element mounted in a middle section of the hole, anupper section of the valve element mounted in an upper section of thehole and the spring mounted between the edge of the valve element andthe upper end of the middle section of the hole to allow the valveelement to radially slide in the hole; a thermosensitive rubber in theinner chamber that changes expands as a function of temperature to shuntliquid through the flat tube upon the liquid having a pre-selectedtemperature.
 2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein saidthermosensitive rubber is one of styrene butadiene rubber, naturalrubber, or silicone rubber.
 3. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein oneend of the piston rod is mounted on the piston rod seat a second end ofthe piston rod is mounted in the inner chamber of the valve element, anend face surface of the piston rod seat contacting an end face of thethermosensitive rubber such that the piston rod slides in the innerchamber of the valve element.
 4. The heat exchanger of claim 1 furthercomprising an inlet and an outlet, the inlet connected to the valve bodyand also in fluid communication with a liquid outlet tube of a hydraulictorque converter and the first flow section of the side-flow tube; theoutlet connected to the valve body and also in fluid communication witha hydraulic fluid inlet tube of the hydraulic torque converter and alsoin fluid communication with the second flow section of the side-flowtube.